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Setting Paint - 1- Waiting and/or 2- "No Heat" Fixative

Part 1

Hi everyone, I just read this in the body of the Paula Burch site:

"Some fabric paints can also be set simply by time. If you wait at least a month before washing the painted fabric, the paint may be as permanent as if you had ironed it."

This is what I very much want to do. I hate nothing else worse than heat setting.
Could you guys please get specific about the paints/inks that work with this technique.

Right now I am using some Speedball Fabric Screen printing ink. I waited two weeks after printing a skirt for my daughter and hers seems to be permanent - but one I did for myself seems to have faded a bit more.

Part 2
Do y'all have any experience with Versatex "No Heat" Fixer?
http://www.dharmatrading.com/html/eng/217624-AA.shtml

I have some that I used for a small art quilt, but it will likely not ever be washed so I can't report results. I have had it for about 2 years? and now the consistency looks a little funny. Should I still use it? Has anyone tested it?

By sunspot at 2011-08-19 17:36 | Fabric Paints | login or register to post comments | previous forum topic | next forum topic

Neopaque

One of my fav "you should but don't REALLY need to set it" textile paints. :D

Judi Hurwitt
Approachable Art
http://approachable-art.blogspot.com

By Judi Hurwitt at Fri, 2011-08-19 18:16 | login or register to post comments

fabric paint without heat-setting

It's a good question, Sunspot. I'm glad to get your recommendation, Judi. Another brand which has been mentioned on the DyersLIST mailing list as working this way is Setacolor.

For any fabric paint whose manufacturer recommends heat-setting, I'd be afraid to try washing without heat-setting before at least a full month has elapsed. Preferably in a warm place. How about leaving it in your car, in the sun, with the windows rolled up, so it gets pretty hot? Only after it's dried enough not to be a threat to the seat covers.

Jacquard Products makes an acrylic catalyst called Airfix to speed up the polmerization of the binder in the fabric paint, without any heat setting at all. They write,

"Jacquard Airfix is an additive for Jacquard Textile colors, Neopaque, and Dye-Na-Flow and most other acrylic fabric paints. Use as a catalyst to fix colors when heat setting is not practical."
You can use the Jacquard Products Store Locator button, on their page about Airfix, to find a source to order it from, such as Jerry's Artarama. Or maybe another retailer that sells stuff made by Jacquard Products might special-order it for you.

Jacquard Products is also the source of inks and related products sold under the Versatex name. (Has this always been the case?) Jacquard's description of the Jacquard Versatex Fixer is not all that encouraging:

"Versatex Fixer can optionally be used with Versatex Screen Printing Inks to assist in heat fixing and improve washability."
No indication there of whether it can truly substitute for heat-setting. However, Dharma Trading Company's description is very clear:
"Remarkable new fixative really works! It could change your life!

"If you don't want to heat set your fabric paints then add a small amount (1-3%, or 1/2 - 1 1/2 tsp per 8 oz. of paint) of this fixative to your paint. Apply as usual and let sit for at least 5 days before any water exposure. Done!

"Our tests results were comparable to heat setting. It also seems to work equally well with our other fabric paints. You should run tests yourself before using in important projects. Paint must be used within 4-6 hours after adding fixative. After that time, if you have some left, you must add more fixative to make it effective. Paint set with the No Heat Fixative seem softer and less "plastic" than paints set with irons and heat presses. Customers who have tried it are very impressed! One production artist mom who used to coerce her children into ironing the paint said it changed their life!"
That sounds like they must know what they're talking about. But, as they say, you really ought to test it yourself, using the same fabric paints and material, and a similar method of application, before you rely on it.

I am surprised that the paint doesn't congeal to uselessness in the jar after the time is up, if you've added the catalyst. It's surprising that Dharma implies you can just add more of the Versatex Fixer and keep using it.

-Paula

By pburch at Sun, 2011-08-21 13:25 | login or register to post comments

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